


days of waiting

by Quihi



Category: Rigel Black Chronicles - murkybluematter
Genre: F/M, Inspired by The Rigel Black Chronicles, Letters, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:47:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29117010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quihi/pseuds/Quihi
Summary: Leo waits for Harry, and writes to her.  Set during FF14.
Relationships: Lionel "Leo" Hurst/Harriet Potter | Rigel Black
Comments: 24
Kudos: 87





	1. Leo

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for FF14!
> 
> Writing this was pure self-indulgence. Even so, constructive criticism is welcome.

**Day 0**

_Dear Harry,_

_I hope you’re safe. I found your knife at Hogwarts. The Aurors had it, and I grabbed it. I don’t know how you got out, but I’m glad you did. You’re powerful enough to Apparate farther than the Aurors would expect._

_I hope you have a plan. Just come home to the alleys, in the end._

_Love,_

_Leo_

Leo had wanted to write it all out, to talk to Harry about what had happened, but it was too dangerous to keep any of this in writing. He carefully fed the letter into the fire and got back to work.

* * *

**Day 1**

_Dear Harry,_

_Margo and Clara Botting told me what happened in your apartment this morning. Are you okay? How much trouble are you in?_

_I was at Hogwarts for the last task. I made it out safely with the rest of my group. But there’s been Aurors crawling all over the Alleys all day, looking for signs of Voldemort. Everyone’s on edge._

_I hope you can come back soon._

_Take care,_

_Leo_

Even before he finished writing the note, Leo knew he couldn’t send it. It was too risky to say even that much, with how much attention might be paid to Harry’s mail.

He tucked it away in a folder.

* * *

**Day 2**

_Dear Harry,_

_How are you? I’m sure your parents are mad. I heard Sirius Black won’t be volunteering at St. Mungo’s for awhile._

_I passed some information about Scar to the Aurors. I don’t think they’ll have more luck finding them than we have, but maybe it’ll get them looking in the right areas at least._

_Leo_

Leo marked the date in a corner, and tucked the letter in the folder. He hoped to hear from Harry soon, hoped she wasn’t too busy or isolated at home to contact him soon.

* * *

**Day 3**

_Dear Harry,_

_How are you? Do you think you’ll make it to Diagon soon? I’ve been busier than ever with work recently, but I could find time to see you._

_Take care,_

_Leo_

Leo wasn’t surprised that Harry hadn’t been to the Alleys in a few days, but he was worried. She’d hardly been mentioned in any news reports, which thankfully took it as fact that a third “Rigel” was the main culprit. But he wanted to hear from her, so he wrote this letter innocuously enough to send safely, no matter if her Auror father read it.

He carefully tied the paper to an owl and directed it to Harry.

* * *

**Day 4**

_Dear Harry,_

_Da heard from Grindel how you’ve been studying in the Alleys all this time. He wasn’t too pleased about that. Said it’s a miracle you stayed safe, and a shame you didn’t spend time at the Guild. He hopes to see you around more this summer._

_Things around here are restless. Auror Moody is determined to turn over every stone to find Voldemort, and isn’t concerned if he stirs things up for the folks here. My ears haven’t heard anything about Voldemort or Scar for days._

_I miss you._

_Leo_

Leo hadn’t seen or heard back from Harry yet. He wasn’t sure if she’d even received his last letter. He tucked this one into the folder with the earlier papers.

* * *

**Day 5**

_Dear Harry,_

_I’m worried about you. Ma’s worried too. I hope you’re not in too much trouble over all this._

_There hasn’t been any word about Gavril. I’ve hardly heard anything from the covens at all. They’re getting blamed for Voldemort’s attack, the Strigoi Shrouds and the Carpathian Crypts alike. Their doors are shut and they won’t let anyone in for any reason. We hope they don’t leave the alleys over this._

_See you soon,_

_Leo_

Another letter that couldn’t be sent. It wouldn’t do to let on to Auror Potter that he had regular communication with the vampire covens. He added the sheet of paper to his collection.

* * *

**Day 6**

_Dear Harry,_

_How’s it going? I’m sure you’re working on some project or other, but don’t work too hard. Spend time with your family._

_The kids miss you. They watch for you everyday and have even been checking the newspapers to see if you’re mentioned._

_I hope things are going okay for you._

_Leo_

This was a letter to send. He was pretty sure mentioning the kids would support her story, but she could play it off as something from the summers if not. He watched the owl fly out the window and head west.

* * *

**Day 7**

_Dear Harry,_

_I’m sure you’re brewing as much as you can, or else researching potions. Krait says he’s out of Protection Potion and wants to know when you’ll send him more. Demand for it is higher than ever, with word of a new Dark Lord in the alleys._

_The Aurors seem to have finished up their initial search. They’re causing less trouble, but talking to more people, looking for leads. There’s been a few questions about you, but mostly they’re hunting for Voldemort. I’ve had plenty of work keeping things calm and setting up more safety measures._

_I wish you were here._

_Leo_

Leo wasn’t sure if Harry’s parents knew about Krait. How much had she shared about the Lower Alleys, inventing stories about her life there? He trusted her to keep his most important secrets, but didn’t know what details she’d share about their friendship, or the clinic, or the Serpent’s Storeroom, or how exactly she knew the Lower Alleys kids. He had to talk to her before he could mention any real details.

He carefully put the letter with the others that he couldn’t send.

* * *

**Day 8**

_Dear Harry,_

_Ma introduced me to Merriam. She told me a bit about how she moved to the alleys. She’s lovely, and she told me about how she met you. Ma said she’s the most discreet worker at the clinic._

_Things here are as busy as ever. I haven’t mentioned it but we’re still planning another tournament this summer, but hoping to avoid the trouble that last year’s had. We’re vetting people more carefully now. I hope to see you before then._

_Always your friend,_

_Leo_

* * *

**Day 9**

_Dear Harry,_

_You haven’t answered either of my letters. Are you okay? Are you receiving them?_

_Visit soon._

_Leo_

Every three days was a reasonable frequency to send a letter. He didn’t know what was happening with her family or when he’d hear back from her, but he had to try. The letter went off to Potter Place.

* * *

**Day 10**

_Dear Harry,_

_I’m pretty sure you’re not getting the letters I’ve sent. I’m looking forward to giving you the ones I’ve kept for when I see you next. I don’t know when that’ll be. Margo’s been watching for you in Diagon; she’s sure she’ll recognize you. She said your friend Caelum’s been visiting Tate’s everyday, hoping to see you._

_There’s no big updates here, about the Aurors or Voldemort. We’ve had a few Ministry raids, but it’s back at the levels it was before the Tournament finale. Things have been quieter, but not too quiet. It’s weird seeing other kids back from school but not seeing you._

_With love,_

_Leo_

Leo sighed as he added the letter to his stack. He hoped Harry would come home to the alleys soon.


	2. Harry

**Day 1**

_Dear Leo,_

_I have so much to explain. I’m sorry I didn’t spend more time with you during the year. I’m sure you understand that I didn’t want my family to hear that I wasn’t at AIM. I wanted to talk to you when I heard what happened to Rigel at the end of the tournament, but there wasn’t time before my dad showed up at my apartment to drag me back to Potter Place._

_My parents are furious, of course. Upset that I was living in the Alleys, worried that I didn’t get a good education from the correspondence course, angry that I’ve been lying to them for years. It’s going to be a rough summer. I’m not sure they’ll trust me to leave the house again before I’m seventeen, but I’ll come visit when I’m able to._

_Harry_

“Dad? Where’s Zosimo?” Harry hadn’t seen the owl since returning home.

“You’re not sending any letters, Harry.”

“But Dad, I need to write—”

“No. Nothing to Rigel, nothing that could be passed along to Rigel, and nothing to any of the people you met in the alleys.”

She hesitated. Leo wasn’t in any of those categories, as far as James knew, but she didn’t want to bring more attention to him, and she couldn’t be certain if he’d talked to the Aurors already. But she needed to be clear with him that she’d been in the alleys and he hadn’t known. “Can I write Leo? He’s going to wonder where I am if he doesn’t see me at Tate’s during the summer.”

James glared at her. “There is an investigation going on. You’re not sending or receiving any letters right now.”

Harry conceded. She asked Archie if he could send the letter for her, but he wasn’t allowed to send anything except for his single letter to Hermione either.

Leo would have to figure things out on his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to show Harry's side, but she's too pragmatic to keep writing letters that she can't send, and she doesn't ramble about her life in letters—she's a poor correspondent at the best of times!


End file.
